BARRACUDA BURNED BY HEAT, FALL 6-4

Apr 23, 2017

SAN JOSE, CALIF. - The San Jose Barracuda (1-1) allowed four first-period goals and failed to comeback, falling 6-4 to the Stockton Heat (1-1) on Sunday night at SAP Center, evening the best-of-five series at 1-1.

After getting shutout in game one, Mark Jankowski (1) netted Stockton's first Calder Cup playoff goal in team history as the AHL All-Rookie teamer slid a puck through Troy Grosenick's five-hole just a minute and 30 seconds into the first. At 12:22, Austin Carroll (1) made it 2-0 Heat as he received a tape-to-tape pass in the low slot and ripped the puck far side past Grosenick. Linden Vey (1) pushed Stockton's lead to 3-0 on the power play at 16:23 as the veteran forward snuck a shot short side on a screened Grosenick. Garnet Hathaway (1) completed the four-goal period as he jetted down the right wing and got beyond the San Jose defense before finishing off the breakaway with a backhand-to-forehand move at 17:07.

In the second, the Barracuda stormed back with three unanswered goals. Joakim Ryan (1) potted San Jose's first of the game on the power play at 6:12 as he went low short side. John McCarthy (1) cut the lead in half with a wrist shot from the slot that snuck under Jon Gillies arm at 7:31 and Ryan ended Gillies night with his second of the game at 11:02 on a two-on-one. After three unanswered goals by the Barracuda, Stockton's Mark Shinkaruk (1) pushed the Heat's lead back to two at 17:43 of the second as he fired a shot far side at 18:55 as he skated down the right wing.

Buddy Robinson (1) made it a one-goal game at 16:19 of the third on a shorthanded breakaway tally, but Vey sealed the series-tying win with an empty-netter at 18:55.

Grosenick (1-1) took the loss after allowing five goals on 19 shots, while David Rittich (1-0) earned the win after making 10 saves on 11 shots in 28 minutes and 49 seconds of relief. Gillies played 31 minutes and two seconds before being pulled after allowing three goals on 20 shots.

The Barracuda continue their best-of-five opening round Divisional semi-final series with the Stockton Heat on Friday, April 28 at Stockton Arena (7:00 PM). All the action can be heard on AM 1220 KDOW, www.kdow.biz and watched on www.ahllive.com. Tickets are available at the SAP Center Box Office, at 408-999-5757, or online at SJBarracuda.com/tickets.